World number 2 and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev has been booted out of the French Open by Croatian Marin Cilic in straight three sets’ win.
Cilic, 20th-seed in the competition, put up a spectacular performance to hamper Medvedev, who recently returned to action after undergoing a hernia operation.
The contest proved to be unevenly matched as the Croatian mauled the Russian 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, at Philippe-Chatrier to reach the quarter-finals for the third time in Roland Garros.
Cilic, who won 85 points, 18 games and 53 service points to Medvedev’s 60, 7, and 43 respectively, was extremely satisfied with his performance from start to finish.
The veteran, however, acknowledged the perfect condition of the atmosphere, adding that he processed one of his best performances in his career yesterday.
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“It was an absolutely fantastic match from the first point to the last,” Cilic said post-match.
“I enjoyed the atmosphere, enjoyed the night session here.
“I played incredible tennis – one of the best matches of my career from start to finish,” the Croatian added.
Meanwhile, Danish teenager, Holger Rune, has shown world number 4, Stefanos Tsitsipas, the way out of the French Open after recording a wracking 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory at Philippe-Chatrier.
The French Open debutant ranked 40 in the world, joins his agemate and Madrid Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
After the contest, the youngster, who was overwhelmed with obvious smiles, revealed he was nervous at the start of the match but stuck to his strategy.
Rune said, “I have an unbelievable feeling. I was so nervous in the end.
“I was very nervous. I told myself to keep at it and play my plan. I mean it is so great to still be here.
“Part of the tactic was to play as aggressive as possible, when he gets shorter balls he attacks them. I really liked playing the drop shots and it worked out pretty good so I am happy,” the youngster added.
Reacting to the defeat, Tsitsipas said he wants a payback, adding that rising tennis prodigies [Alcaraz and Rune] wants to humiliate him.
He posited that though they play similar patterns chasing the ball, he is ranked higher above them.
“These kids are going to want to beat me badly because obviously they are chasing. I’m chasing too, but I’m at a different kind of position than they are,” Tsitsipas said post-match.
“I’m hungry to beat them too. Now that they have beaten me I want payback,” he added.
In the quarter-final, Holger Rune plays Casper Ruud, who won Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, at Court Suzanne Lenglen, while Marin Cilic takes on Audrey Rublev, who won Jannik Sinner 1-6, 6-4, 2-0.
